HRCP slates torturing of Pindi protesters

KARACHI: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed its utter shock and grief over the barbaric violence of the Rawalpindi Police led by SP Yasin Farooq, SP Muhammad Azam, DSP Rana Shahid, against the protesting families of the missing people that made the front pages of the national press, on Friday. Ex-senator Iqbal Haider, Secretary-General HRCP in a statement issued to the press said the picture “speaks volumes about the extreme violent inhuman and callous conduct of the police.” Condemning the barbaric act that took place on Thursday, he said:

“The government instead of redressing the just grievance of the families of hundreds of missing citizens added insult to their injuries by this sort of humiliating, insulting and violent gross misbehaviour by the police, who did not hesitate even stripping and ruthlessly beating the peaceful protestors.” The federal and provincial governments and their law enforcement agencies, he said, are consistently and blatantly violating the Constitution, human dignity, all laws and norms of decency by abducting hundreds of citizens without disclosing any charge, reason or lawful authority.

The HRCP called upon the federal and provincial governments and demanded an immediate and unconditional release of all the demonstrators. “SP Yasin Farooq, SP Mohammad Azam and DSP Rana Shahid and their sub-ordinates should also be prosecuted for misusing their uniform, office and authority and violating the Constitution, dignity of human being and using unwarranted excessive force to intimidate peaceful citizens of Pakistan,” said the statement. Moreover, Haider called upon the authorities to ensure that all the missing citizens are released or produced before courts of competent jurisdiction forthwith and the government must restrain its functionaries from pursuing such illegal, unconstitutional, inhuman policies.
Source: The News
Date:12/30/2006